What a year it has been! I thought about looking backwards and making a list of everything we have been through. But I decided that it would only be depressing! And we struggle with depression enough without knowingly adding to it! But if I did, it would look something like this…MS that never gives a break, chemo, Ohio trips, tumor, ER/blood clots/ICU, jaw surgery, central line, plasmapheresis.
I thought about making a list of how we had been loved and cared for this past year. Because man, we have been loved and cared for over and over again. God has provided to us over and over again through ordinary people. But the list is so long, I would never finish! And…I might leave something out because my brain is mush! But if I did, it would look something like this…house keeper, meals, counseling sessions, massages, cards and gift cards, monetary gifts, visits, phone calls at just the right time, errand runners, allergy shot taxis, furniture purchaser and installer, personal home renovator (aka Noel), happies delivered to our door …. the list goes on and on.
So I decided I would think forward into next year. I have no clue what details life will bring. We know we continue to stand in a fight against MS. And we know more chemo is on the horizon. We know more heartache is inevitable! But there is something that I think will be our life mission for the next year. We are going to try to live every day at the Smith House with more love, more grace and more gratitude!
More love…our love lately has been very conditional. As we embark on a new year, I pray that we would love like Jesus. We would love with no strings attached. We would love with pure hearts! We would love God, love each other, and love others like crazy…crazy love!
More grace…our children didn’t learn to be judgmental all on their own accord. After all, God’s grace is sufficient for each of our needs! So if God is filling us up with His grace…why won’t we demonstrate grace to others around us? As we enter 2016, I pray that grace would abound. I pray that our judgmental spirits would be replaced with grace for others. I pray those unrealistic expectations we place on those around us, would be outlined with grace. I pray that God’s grace would continue to sustain us each and every day.
More gratitude…we have days where we are grateful and thankful. Well, maybe I should say we have MOMENTS where we are grateful and thankful. A lot of other moments are not filled with gratitude! They are filled with dissatisfaction and complaining. I pray that we would learn in 2016 to see God’s hand in everything. I pray that our hearts would continually be filled with praise. I pray our attitudes would show Jesus in us!
If we can simply remind ourselves over and over L G Squared. Love, grace and gratitude! All year long! No matter the heartache, no matter the situation, no matter the disease. L G squared. Love, grace and gratitude!
